Cltjtch



oct. 9, 1928. 1,686,989

G. B. RIDL'EY CLUTCH Filed Jan. 18, 1926 Stills-timid CLUTCH.

Application filed January it?,

My invention relates to clutches and particularly.' 'to clutches of tlf-.e yielding type.

lin ohject of my invention is 'to provide a clutch fo radually engaging shafts opel atingat difiere-nt speeds.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a clutch offering` a non-frictional resistance to relative rotation of the members it clutches.

Another ohjectof my invention is to provide a clutch which will prevent damage to the engaging members.

i further object of my invention is to pio vide means for keeping1 a clutch collar in engaged or disengaged position.

'lhe invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing, Will he set forth at length in the following descriptioin.Where l shall outline in full that form of the clutch of my invention which ll have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forn'iing part of the present specification, ln said drawings l have shown one form of clutch embodying my invention, but it is to he understood that l do not limit myself to such form since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may he embodied in a plurality of forms.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of my clutch in disengaged' position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of my clutch in disengaged position, the section being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of my clutch in engaged position.

Fig. t is a transverse section of my clutch taken on the line l--l of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of my clutch taken on the line l-fi of lfig. l hut with the springe-pressed halls n ot seated in the grooves.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of my clutch.

Broadly speaking, the clutch of my invention' preferably comprises resilient means, such as spring-pressed halls, mounted in one clutch member and adapted to engage periodically means, such as grooves, in another clutch member so that relative rotation of the tvvo members is resisted.

l y clutch is adapted for use in connect ing two shafts revolving1 at different speeds and especially if the driven shaft is carrying a load. ln the past, friction clutches have Serial No. 81319.

been employed in such circumstances but friction always produces Wear and friction clutches i. ed Where the duty is heavy are short lived. lfriction clutches are also disadvantageous in that they require more or less precise operation to insure smooth en 6o gaggement of the tivo clutch members.

'io overcome the ahove disadvantages, I iiirovide in the preferred form of my invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, a driving shaft 6 in anial alignment with a ve5 driven shaft l. The end of the driven shaft eniargfed :into a radial ilanpdge l Which is provided on its face with tvvo opposed quadrant lugs 9 and l0. ihe end of the driving shaft is perforated by tivo diametric aper- 7o tures l2 and i3 spaced apart axially and lying in the saine plane. Each of the apertures contains two halls i6 and 'i7 pressed outwardly by means of an interposed coil spring lll.

Surrounding the end of the driving1 shaft is a sleeve or collar i8 provided on one face with opposed quadrant lugs i9 and 20 which are adapted to engage and disengage the lugs 9 and l0 when the collar is shifted 30 axially on the shaft any convenient means may he used for shifting the collar on the shaft and in this form of the invention, a circumferential groove 22 is provided on the collar which may oe engaged hy the forks of a shifting` lever, not shown. rlhe interior surface of the colar is interrupted hy tivo diametrically opposed lingitudinal grooves 23 and 'which are of slightly greater radius than the halls 1G and 90 li" and are slightly less than a semicircle in compass.

ill pin 26 is seated in the collar and passes transversely through one of the grooves 23 and lhe pin is of such diameter and is so disposed axially of the collar, that it lies on one side of the balls i6 anc .i7 when the collar is in engaged position and on the other side of the halls when the collar is in clisengaged position. 10o

'the shaft 6 has been designated a driving shaft merely for convenience oC c-.escription7 and it is obvious that either shaft G or shaft Z may he the driving shaft Without affecting the operation of inv clutch.

Assume that the driving' shaft 6 is revolving rapidly and that the shaft 7 1s stationary and is connected to a load, such as a fly Wheel. The clutch is in disengaged position With *che coilur 18 disposed as shown in F 1 and 2. 1t is desired to engage Vthe shafts 6 and 7 und bring the shaft Y up to 'die speed of the shaft 6. 1n the disengaged position oi' the collar, the halls 16 and 1T are held in the grooves 23 und 9A hy pressure exerted oy springs 14. The in 26 lies lo one side of the hull 16 retaining the coller in disengaged position. To engage the lugs 19 `and 2O of the coller 8 Wirh the lugs 9 and 10 of the shaft 7, the coller is shiiieed axially on the shuii hy ineens such ss i forked shifting lever. is the coller is shi'lfed into engaged position, the pin depresses the hall 16 und passes over ii, uitei- Which the bell returns to its place in 'ehe groove 23 and retains the coller in engaged position.

@Wing to he inerbis of she-ft 7, a large force is required to accelerate it to the speed 01 shaft 6. rl`his 'force turns the coller with respect to Jdie shaft 6, forcing die hulls 1G and 1i" inward sgsinst the spring pressure. rEhe pressure oiff the springs 14E is :niilicierVA "no oder considerable resistance te the ein of Vdie coller on 'the short 6 und servos to E; the shaft up 'to speed graduelly, he bells over-running, that is, periodically di'oppiirr;l into and being forced out of the grooves until lie shaft 6 and shaft T :ire revolvingsynchronously. 1i' the torque necessary to turn Jche shaft 7 is too great, however, the bells will continue to over-run, thereby preventinsonne ing un overloading of the driving mech unisn 1i is dius seen rh-.it the clutch of my inve Jnien provides :i non-friction ineens l'ior preseiiing resistance to 'die reluiive rontion or tivo shorts und :illovv sniooth und. posilive engagement oi the nienihers in ciu-echos.

l clnini;

1. ifi clutch coniprisiiis)l tivo :axially aligned shurls7 ai. coller roteiuhly niounled on the iirst shell und udupted lo he uri-.illy shiifled 'to enemigo Vthe second shez, seid coller lining provided wiih inierior ".ongiiudinxil grooves. spring pressed nziiis niounted on seid lir i1 shaft und adapted to sont in seid grooves und ineens cooper-u" \vili smid hulls for resisting unisi shi u or sziid collar.

2. il clutch coniprising,` u drivingy shui'l having un iper-eure diaiinetricniiy Lhercllnu, driven shari, lugs on seid driven shell', u coilur provided with ini'erior iougriniulinu'i grooves mounted on seid driiinusimil :i d

souple.. 'Lo he :iXi-.illy shifted thereon, huis l ro interengnge ille lugs on springgr iuounied in sind on suie. coi seid dri veli upertuie, lzil e in seid aperture 11i. ihe ends of seid spring und uorniully pre; ed 'nhelony ino seid grooves, and n. pin persing runs- 'versely thru one oi" seid grooves und :idr: pied to depress one of seid hnlis when seid coder is axially drilled.

@in estiinonyf' iv ercoi7 ser` my hand.

have hereunio ii li. lil/.Dill Y. 

